


A Little Bit Longer

by Mideana



Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Also maybe some smutt at the end of the story, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, College AU, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, M/M, No Angst, Sam Knows, Shy Castiel, Student Castiel, Student Dean, Supportive Castiel, Supportive Dean, building romance, mention of past psychological abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-19
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2019-01-20 00:24:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12421242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mideana/pseuds/Mideana
Summary: Destiel College AU where they notice each other at the library. They never speak though, until one day they bump into each other at the coffee machine. Fluff ensues. Strangers to friends to lovers.(I'm terrible at summaries)Title is a reference to the song "A Little Bit Longer" by Florent Dorin, it's a lovely song, you should check it out :)





	1. Deus Ex Machina

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I post a fic on AO3, so I hope you guys will like it :)  
> Also please leave feedbacks, or kudos if you liked it! I keep seeing the hit count go up, but I have no idea if you guys liked it..  
> One last thing, I'm going to update this once a week on Sundays, and I have prepared 6 Chapters and a Coda :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of this first chapter is a reference to the plot device, but also to the music "Deus Ex Machina" by If These Trees Could Talk.

The geology and planetary sciences library smelled of dust, books, and wood. Castiel Novak really liked this smell. It reminded him of his uncle Gabriel. He had not seen him for ages –10 years actually: his uncle’s choice to write fiction for a living had precipitated a quarrel between him and his parents, and he left without saying goodbye. Castiel had not seen him since then, even though Gabriel and he used to be very close. So close in fact that they used to come off as brothers. But now that he was studying in California, he thought, now that he was away from his parents and Washington, maybe he could visit him some time, without them knowing. He smiled at the thought, and took a deep breath.

  
Ah, he really liked that smell… In fact it was one of the only things he liked about the place – the other being that it was tiny and there were very few people here. It was unpractical since it didn’t contain any book on the topics that concerned him, plus the light was very poor, but the other libraries were always crowded anyway, and Castiel didn’t like crowded. He didn’t like noisy.

  
Castiel was writing his essay on fluid dynamics when a student entered the library, practically slamming the door behind him. Or at least that was the impression it gave Castiel, because actually, the door closed normally. But anyway, it annoyed him, and so he turned to the stranger to give him a dark eye. The other didn’t see anything.

  
They were almost 20 feet apart, but Castiel could hear the music that was blasting in the other’s ears. It sounded like metal. So much for quietness, right?

  
He contemplated going up to him to tell him that it was required to have headphones set at low volume in a quiet study spaces. But he couldn’t get out of his chair. Because the more he looked at him, the more detail he saw, the more he was incapable of moving. Piercing emerald eyes. Freckles everywhere. Muscly neck and arms. Delicate features. Thin hands. No matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t find him one single flaw.

  
**** Dean’s POV****

  
What the hell was wrong with this guy? Dude’d been staring at him for like 10 minutes already! Don’t you have work to do, creep? Dean looked up to glare at him, but the kid was already back to his work. Good.

  
Though, now that he looked at him, dude was kinda hot, with his messy hair, wrinkly clothes and the dark circles under his eyes. Got Dean thinking about what he was doing at night! Though, judging by the pile of books that was surrounding him, it didn’t seem like his kind of fun. But then, dorky dudes had always been his type: it’s always quite a turn on to see uptight guys getting dirty.

Now, this uni was full of dorky dudes, but none of them looked half as good as this guy. Dean wondered why he had never seen him before, a pretty face like his. But then, Dean very seldom went to class anyway. Minimum attendance only.

  
Which was kinda starting to blow up in his face now that he was moving forward in his studies. Hence his presence in the library.

  
Right. Back to business.

  
‘Hero of the day’ played in his headphones. S&M version. Very good study music: once he started he was unstoppable. He continued working until 4AM, and then left the library. 30minutes later, the pretty stranger left too.

  
*

  
*

  
*  
Two days went by before Dean got back to the geology library. Not that he really liked the place, it smelled like old people to him, but he was curious: was the pretty boy gonna be here? In two days, he had not been able to get him out of his head, and his face was starting to fade off his memory. He had to see him.

  
When he entered the library, the guy was sitting at the same spot as the other day: the only one-person table, in the corner of the room opposite to the door. Dean sat down and started to work. His mind was always going back to the guy, he wanted to know more about him. But the way he was seating, the body language he was giving off, he didn’t seem like the kind of people to feel comfortable around people. He seemed to want to be left alone. 

  
****Castiel’s POV****

  
Oh no, him again… Why would the handsome guy be here again? People rarely studied here, let alone stay late! Last time he was here, Castiel couldn’t concentrate properly and he had done most of his work in the 30 minutes that preceded his departure. He looked up: their eyes met. Castiel’s face turned red. Man. His eyes were extremely green, even under halogen lights.

  
This time, Castiel left first. He looked at his watch: 2AM. He couldn’t concentrate on his work anyway.

*

  
*

  
*

  
*  
A month has passed, and Castiel is still exchanging looks with the stranger every now and then. But he never dares to go talk to him. Besides, the guy has probably been looking at him because *he* has been looking at him. Surely he thinks he is some kind of creep.

But even though he thinks that, Castiel can't help but being excited every time he goes to the library. It has become his favourite place. He used to be here often, but not like that: now he is spending most of his time here, sometimes whole days, leaving only to grab food and his scheduled cups of coffee.

In fact, he's thinking he should get himself one right now.

  
He goes to the coffee machine on the ground floor. Though the coffee is not great, at least it is nearby and cheap, and most importantly he doesn't have to talk to anyone to get it. He gets himself a double latte, like always, and waits for it to be ready, browsing Twitter on his phone. When he hears the usual beep that signals the drink is ready, he grabs it and steps back. In the motion, he trips over something and falls, spilling coffee everywhere.

  
“Shit!! Man I’m so sorry! You OK?” someone says above him.

  
“I.. I think so. Thanks.”

  
Castiel looks up. Green.

  
“Man I feel terrible! Let me buy you another cup of coffee!" the man says. "A proper one.” he adds.

  
“...”

  
“My name is Dean. Dean Winchester. And you are?”

  
“… Castiel Novak.”

  
“Hey, Cas. So, what d'ya say? Coffee?" 

  
“Well…. Hum.. Yes..? Ok, Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have edited the end of the chapter because I realised that I messed up the tenses. Sorry if it was confusing at first.


	2. Times Like These

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, please feedbacks :)  
> Enjoy!

 5:32 PM. For a moment, they are caught in each other’s eyes, and nothing seems to move. Time seems to stop. Then, Dean says:

“Shall we?”

Castiel nods in response.

“I thought maybe we could go to some place off campus? I used to spend a lot of time at Jameson Brown Coffee Roasters, they brew the coffee themselves and it’s really good.”

“Ok.” Castiel answers.

It's still early, but November is getting the best out of the sun. They are walking in silence. Castiel’s face is a little red. He’s looking at his feet. Dean laughs:

“You’re not very chatty, are you?”

Castiel chuckles lightly:

“I’m sorry."

“Hey it’s OK man! It’s just, if you changed your mind about coffee, it's OK. I hope I didn’t just catch you off guard and you said yes but now you realise you have work or anything.”

Castiel stares into Dean’s eyes. There’s something warm in his stomach, something that’s making his heart race. Dean is different than what he had imagined. He has this very cool and rough appearance, but in fact, he is very kind. Very considerate.

“Thank you, Dean. But it’s not like that. It’s just that I’m usually a bit shy with people I just met. And I don’t like to talk about insignificant things, like, say, the weather. So I usually just shut up.”

Dean laughs again. A deep, warm laugh.

“Right.” he says.

He pauses.

“Ah, looks like it’s gonna rain.”

Castiel turns to look at him again: his eyes are sparkling. He’s teasing him! Castiel can’t help but give him a large, toothy smile. He decides to play along.

 

****** Dean’s POV ******

 

Shit shit shit… Castiel’s smile is too damn bright. And sincere too. It makes Dean’s heart beat faster, but he manages to keep his composure.

“Actually, when the clouds gather like this” Castiel says, pointing at the sky, “then it means that it’s not going to rain. There’s definitely going to be a storm though.”

“Really??” Dean says, his eyes sparkling again, with excitement this time. “Cool! I love storms. I hope there’s gonna be lightning!”

Castiel looks at him in a weird way.

“How can you tell that it’s not gonna rain?” Dean asks, curious.

“The forecast on my phone” Cas simply answers.

Dean bursts out laughing.

“That’s how the biter is bit.” Castiel simply says. 

They are at the coffee place now. It’s a large red-brick building, with small windows and warm lights inside. When they step in, a delicious smell of cinnamon and coffee welcomes them. They both feel instantly very comfortable.

They get in line. Dean gets a Colombian coffee, and Castiel a traditional latte.

They sit at a little table in the corner, which gives them a much-appreciated amount of privacy.

“I would not have thought that this was your kind of place” Castiel says.

“Oh I usually don’t like this hipster shit. But what can I say, coffee is my weak spot. Plus, I have to work hard to graduate this year, so coffee has become sort of mandatory. You’ll get it when you reach year four.”

“I’m doing a Masters.” Castiel answers, rising an eyebrow.

Dean pauses.

“Shit man, sorry!” he laughs “I really thought you were younger than me!”

“No problem, I get that often.”

“You should grow a stubble like me. Usually does the trick.” Dean says with a wink.

“Ah, maybe”

Dean thinks Cas would look even hotter with a stubble too... But he tries not to think about it too much.

“So, what’s your major?” he asks.

“Aerospace engineering. You?”

“Eh, close! I’m studying mechanical engineering. Not that I really like it though. I’m only studying because I want to show my little brother Sam that we can do it, contrary to what our old man used to say.”

“Oh, I see. I don’t really like what I’m studying either. I’m only doing it because my parents think it’s what I should do, and I didn’t want to fight about it with them."

“Man, that’s fucked up. You should do whatever you feel like doing. What would you have done if it wasn't for them? ”

“I wanted to become a surgeon. Still want to. But I don’t like conflicts.”

“I get that…” He pauses. “Me, it’s not that I hate what I do, it’s just too cerebral for me. I like manual work best. I don’t think I need to study for that. It’s just, Sammy wants to be a lawyer, and because of our dad, he thinks he can’t. I want to show him that we can make our own destiny. We don’t have to take up the family business.”

“That’s very thoughtful. You seem to care about your brother a lot” Castiel says.

“I do. I mean, I practically raised the kid.” Dean admits. “Our dad, he’s a forest ranger, and he was often out for days when we were younger, sometimes even weeks.”

 

****** Castiel’s POV ******

 

Castiel wants to ask about Dean’s mother but something tells him that it’s a subject for another time. So he doesn’t say anything. He just stares and Dean. And Dean stares back.

They are comfortable. Castiel likes it. He likes how he’s comfortable enough to be able to have a discussion, but he also likes that they don’t **have** to talk. It’s very new to him. Usually people don’t like silence. He feels that Dean and he share something precious through their silence. 

The coffee place closes at 7, so when it does, Castiel and Dean go out. They exchange their numbers, shake hands, and part ways.

On the way home, Castiel walks with his hands in his pockets and his head to the sky.

He walks slowly, as if to prolong the evening. He feels peaceful. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's title is a reference to the song "Times Like These" by Foo Fighter.


	3. Rough Boy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave feedbacks! It's very important to me, I'd like to know what you think. :)  
> Enjoy!

The next morning, Castiel wakes up energised. He hasn’t slept like that in a while. He feels like he can conquer the world today.

He doesn’t have class on Fridays, though, and he doesn’t have any ongoing assignments, so his options are sort of limited.

He decides to text his friend Meg and see if she has anything planned for today.

Meanwhile, he proceeds to shower and get dressed. Even though he doesn’t realise it, he has made a very noticeable effort to dress nice, today: instead of his usual jeans and sweater, he’s wearing a black chino and a nice white shirt, with the first two buttons undone. His hair is a mess, but he likes it that way.

His phone rings: Meg has texted back.

_Meg: I’m busy with the band today, sorry._

_Cas: No problem! :) I feel super good today, and I just have no idea what to do. I don’t want to just spend all my energy reading stuff for class!_

_Meg: Hey, that’s a nice change! Anything happened?_

Castiel doesn’t answer right away. Then, another text arrived:

_Meg: Is it mystery man?_

Castiel blushes. Spot-on.

_Cas: I bumped into him yesterday. I dropped my coffee because of him, so he offered to pay me back, and we went to this nice coffee place on North Allen Avenue._

_Meg: Wow Cas! That’s so cool! Did you get his number?  
_

_Cas: Yeah, but I don’t think I’ll be contacting him. I don’t know how to do this friend stuff. I mean I was lucky with you because having classes together every day for four years makes it easier, but I mean this guy just wanted to be nice. I don’t think he wants us to be friends, he looks like a guy who has plenty of friends already. Plus, I don’t know if I can be friends with him, since I clearly have a crush on him. And I didn’t tell him I’m gay. Maybe he’s a homophobic asshole. All of this is just too complicated. It’s not worth the headache._

Now Castiel feels down. That’s right. Why did he feel so great earlier? Dean just wanted to be nice. Not everything has to be like that, you hopeless romantic! He just wanted to be nice,  it doesn’t mean that you’re going to be friends, much less become lovers! Dean’s clearly straight too! So there’s that for you!

His phone rings –Meg has texted back. He ignores it. He has to get some air. He grabs his nice trench coat and leaves.

His apartment is at the crossroads of El Molino Avenue and East Del Mar Boulevard, which is very close to Uni, but quite far from Angeles National Forest, where he wants to go now. But hiking always soothes him.

So, he walks to Fair Oaks and Walnut station, trying not to think about Dean so much. Once he’s in the bus, it gets easier, since he’s got his book. This week, he’s reading Jack Kerouac’s _On the Road_. Shit. Dean… Now that he thinks of it, the way he pictured Kerouac’s Dean was very close to the Dean he knew. Shit shit shit. He can’t seem to be able to get him out of his head.

The bus reaches Fair Oaks / Wapello stop. Castiel gets out. After a 6min walk, he finally enters the forest.

The tension on his shoulder immediately lifts off. After a good ten minutes walking on the trail, his troubles and Dean seem so far away. That’s good. He feels good again.

“Cas?”

Castiel turns around. What in the… Dean!

“Hello, Dean.”

“Hey, what are you doing here man?” Dean asks. He seems happy. His eyes are sparkling.

What's with this man and his eyes, Castiel thinks.

“I was trying to clear my mind.”

“Yeah, nature will do that to you. It’s so peaceful here. I mean it’s so close to the city, but once you enter the forest, you immediately feel better.”

Castiel chuckles.

“Exactly.”

They are silent for a split second. But then Castiel realises:

“So that’s why you’re here too? You like to come here to relax?” he asks.

“No, not really. My dad works as a forest ranger here. I sometimes give him a hand.”

“Oh that’s nice! I would love to do that kind of job, though I don’t think I’d be so good at it.”

“Judging from the way you dress to come to places like this, maybe not, yeah!” Dean laughs.

Castiel blushes. He had not realised that he's still wearing his nice clothes, the clothes that he had put on unconsciously this morning because he was in such a great mood.

“I didn’t plan to come here… It just happened.” Cas says, shamefully.

Dean chuckles lightly.

“That’s so cool. When you need to think, first thing you do is come here. That’s cool. Me, I’d just go to the liquor store.”

“Ha, I don’t think that’s very healthy.” Cas says.

Dean looks at him. Then, without warning, he turns around, and walks away. Only to sit on the edge of the trail, facing the city. He turns his head towards Cas and nods as if to tell him to sit with him. So that’s what Cas does.

They stay like that for a minute. The wind is a bit chilly, but it feels great. The sun warms their backs. It’s still early. They can picture the city being as hectic as ever, down below.

But here, everything is harmonious. They punctually hear a bird chirping. They can hear the sound of water falling from Eaton Canyon Falls, far away.

“You know, my mom died in a fire when I was 10.” Dean says, out of the blue.

Cas looks at him. He looks sad, but not heartbroken – a little nostalgic maybe.

“And my dad, he hasn’t been around so much. Unless he needed me to help him here. I mean I was a little boy, but my dad, he felt like he had to prepare me to deal with the harshness of the world. So he asked me to help him with predator control. Thing is, my dad, he’s a cruel man with animals, and he’s not so kind with humans either. After that, I hated him. But I had to man up. I had to. And I realised my dad would start asking Sammy to do that too, eventually. I couldn’t allow it. You know, Sammy’s very kind-hearted. He’s the kindest person on earth. I couldn’t let him see that. Let him see my dad like that…”

After that, Dean doesn’t say anything else. He just sits there quietly.

And Castiel doesn’t know what to say. So he just sits there quietly. After a while, Dean turns to Castiel and smiles.

“Why are you telling me all of this?” Castiel says.

“I don’t know man. I know we just met, but I feel like I can trust you. You have this glowing aura, like, I can tell you’re a good person. And I already feel like we’re close friends.”

Both blush.

“I mean I hope you don't think it's weird, bro.” Dean says.

“No, no, not at all.” Castiel answers. 

Then, after another silence, Castiel says:

“But if you truly want to be my friend, there’s something that you need to know about me… and it costs me to say it, because it’s something that’s very hard to say, and I have struggled for a long time to even just admit it to myself, and I know some people just don’t get it so I hope to my heart that you’re not one of these people but…” Castiel says in a breath.

He stops for a while to catch his breath.

“I’m gay.” he lets on.

Dean looks at him insistently.

“Man, breathe.” he says calmly. “I have no reason to judge you, especially since I’m bi. It’s ok, man. You can relax.”

Castiel looks into Dean’s eyes. Decidedly, Dean is a lot more than his appearance is suggesting of him.

 

***** Dean’s POV*****

The rest of the morning passes smoothly. They hike to the panoramic viewpoint. At one point, Cas says:

“Hey, weren’t you supposed to help out your dad?”

“Fuck him. I can’t stand to look at him these days.”

“Did something happen?”

“He wants me to fail my classes, that’s why he’s asking me to come here so often. He doesn’t want to lose his grip on me. He says I’m never gonna make it anyway, so I’d better drop out now.”

“Tsk!”

Dean looks at Cas. He looks furious.

“I hate it when people give you shit for trying. I know you can make it Dean. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“That’s very nice of you to say that Cas… Thank you.”

“I mean it Dean. You can be whatever you want to be. Don’t let people try to dictate your life. I know I did. Now look at me. I’m in too deep, and I have no idea how to get out of this mess.” Cas admits.

“Man, if you still want to become a surgeon, then fuck your parents, just drop out of Caltech and start medical school. It’s not too late, we’re still young.”

At this point, Dean realises he’s not only talking about Cas. He’s also talking about himself.

“Hey, what do you say we head back to the city, now? Maybe you take me to your favourite café.” Dean says.

Cas’s eyes light up.

“That’s a wonderful idea!!”

On the way back, they talk about everything and nothing. At one point, Cas says he never went to Santa Monica, even though he’s been living in California for five years.

“Dude! You need to go to Santa Monica! I mean it’s pretty basic, but man that’s just what normal people do!”

“Maybe I’m not normal, then.” Castiel says simply.

“Yeah, I can say you’re not.” Dean replies.

Castiel looks at him, all puzzled.

“Hey, it’s not a bad thing!”

They laugh. It’s easy.

They arrive by a bookshop with a green façade.

“We’re here!” Castiel says.

“But this is a bookshop, not a coffee place!” Dean responds. 

“There’s a café at the far end of the shop. I like it because it’s tiny, so it means very few people.”

“You don’t like people all that much, do you?” Dean says.

“No, I love people. I love humanity in general. I just don’t like being in contact with them. I like watching from afar. Socialising is hard for a weirdo like me.”

Dean stops, reaching for Castiel’s shoulder, and says:

“You’re not a weirdo, man. You’re special, that’s for sure, but it’s not a bad thing. On the contrary. You’re awesome.”

“Thank you Dean.” Castiel says. He seems genuinely touched.

Castiel orders a latte and Dean orders a double espresso. They seat at a table near the bar, away from the picture window. Castiel opens his mouth to speak, but at this moment, Dean’s phone rings.

_“Hey Sammy!.... What? Tsk. He’s such a dick. He didn’t even call me first! …. Sam I’m sorry you got worried….. What? …. Hum, I found a friend, and that’s why…. Yeah. Haha, very funny… Ok, see you later! Bitch.”_

“Man, I’m sorry, I’ve gotta go, my old man called Sammy to tell him I disappeared on him. I gotta go back there, and tell him to leave us the fuck alone.”

“Dean…”

“Don’t worry Cas. I’ll be alright. It was real nice to spend this day with you though. We should do that again. Sooner rather than later. Ok?”

“Definitely.”

“See you, Cas. Thanks for everything!”

And he just leaves. His coffee is still smoking. Cas leaves out a sigh. Right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title of this chapter is a reference to the song "Rough Boy" by ZZ Top.


	4. More Than Words

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a lot that I would like to say. First, I'm so sorry it's been two weeks since I uploaded this, I was so busy with uni these days! I didn't want to half-ass this, especially since it's a very important chapter, so there you go!  
> Also, as much as I wanted to keep this fic trigger-free, I added a trigger warning for "mention of past psychological abuse", so I'm sorry for that :/ It doesn't take a lot of place in the story, but it's still important for Dean's character development so yeah :/  
> Anyway, I hope you'll like it!  
> Enjoy! :D

“Fuck you is what I mean!” Dean shouts.

He’s back at the forest. He doesn’t even remember the journey back – he was so mad. He just can’t believe that Sammy was dragged into this!

“Dafuk d’you say?!” John shouts back, stepping towards Dean menacingly.

“I said fuck you, JOHN. Don’t you dare drag Sammy into this. Don’t you dare call HIM to replace me. I told you. I told you if you ever pull shit like that I won’t be coming here ever again.”

“D’ya think I give a shit ‘bout you anyway? Uh? D’ya think I give a shit about my fucking faggot of a son?? Lord knows I tried to force you to man up, and sometimes I thought ‘Yeah, he’s learned his lesson’ but shit if I didn’t catch you flirting with that boy earlier!”

“You can call me a faggot if you want to. I don’t care because I’ve already lost every ounce of respect that I had for you. But you'll have to sort your shit out. Because I have some pretty incriminating stuff on my phone that could put you in jail for a long long time if I wanted to. Now you know you conditioned me alright, made me your little guard dog, and ‘cause of that, I won’t take it to the cops. Except you involved Sammy now. So you leave us the fuck alone or I swear to God, I won’t let you get away with it!!”

At this point, Dean is so enraged that he feels he could punch him, but Sammy’s here, and it’s not worth it.

“Come on Sammy, we’re leaving.”

*

*

*

The journey back home was silent, but as soon as Dean opens the door to their apartment, Sam says:

“Hey Dean, can I talk to you…? Like really?”

“What?” Dean answers, a bit more harshly than he had intended. He’s terrified. Sam has heard his father call him a faggot. He’s probably disgusted and doesn’t want to live with him anymore.

They move to the living room. Sam is sitting on the couch. He looks awkward.

“You don’t have to protect me, you know. I know that dad has changed since Mom died. I mean, I rarely see him, but when I do, I can _feel_ it. He doesn’t give a shit about anything now. He’s filled with rage. And so, I know that the reason why I rarely ever see him whereas you’re always with him in the forest is because you told him not to contact me. And I’m grateful for that, I am. It’s just that, you don’t have to bear this burden alone, you know…”

“Whatever. You heard what I told him. Neither of us have to see him now. He has to get his shit together.”

“But Dean… What is it that he made you do that was so insufferable?”

“Nothing, Sammy.”

“Dean…”

“I said nothing, OK? Drop it.”

“Ok.”

And that’s it. Dean goes in the kitchen to grab a beer. He is relieved, but he can feel a stone in his stomach that indicates that he’s still stressed. Being able to confront his dad felt very good, and Sam seems to have understood why he did it, so that good. But now that the pressure on his shoulders is released, he realises that he left the café very abruptly, earlier, and he doesn’t want Cas to be mad at him. His phone rings – he’s received a text. It’s Cas.

Cas: _Hello Dean. I don’t know if it’s ok for me to send you texts but I’m a little bit worried, to be honest, because of all the stories you told me about your father… Is everything ok?_

This guy… He’s really something else.

Dean: _Don’t worry, Cas, I’m fine. Told my man to fuck off. He’s out of our lives for now._

Cas: _Really? Did something happen?_

Dean: _He’s asked Sammy to help him, and he knows he can’t do that. Sammy’s not 18, he can’t work, and besides, he’s still a kid. He should worry about school and girls, not about his cruel drunkard of a Dad._

Cas: _Well, if you need anything, I’m here…_

Dean: _Well, I didn’t have a chance to grab that coffee, but I’m more in mood for booze. I know it’s Saturday night, but maybe we could go out for a drink? I can ask a friend to stay home with Sammy while I’m out._

Cas: _Uh, I don’t really like bars. It’s too crowded, and drunk people are not the best company._

Dean: _You did say “if I need anything”, and I need a drink._

Cas: •••

The three little dots signifying that Cas is typing come and go a few times. Dean begins to worry that Castiel is not at all interested in becoming close friends with him, and maybe he said that he didn't like bars just to be polite in his refusal. Five minutes later, the answer arrives:

Cas: _Alright, but let’s go to my place. That way we can have a drink, but it’s not crowded._

Dean’s heart is beating faster suddenly. Does this guy have any idea what he’s doing?

 

***Castiel’s POV***

Oh my… It took all the courage he had, but now that he’s actually sent the text, Castiel is feeling a little nauseous. He doesn’t want Dean to think that it's somewhat a booty call. He genuinely asked if he wanted to come here because he can’t stand bars. And he wants to see him. And ok, maybe he’s attracted to him, but he’s not… His phone buzzes.

Dean: _Sounds great! It’s cheaper that way too! When should I come? I’m buying the booze since you’re the host._

... Castiel takes a look around. His place is a mess.

Castiel: _Is 9 ok for you? I have a couple things to do first._

Dean: _Yeah, no problem! Thanks Cas. See you later!_

*

*

*

After an hour cleaning up, Castiel’s apartment looks great. Well, at least as far as a 22 m² studio can look great. The couch, which also serves as a bed for Castiel, is taking most of the space. He also has a coffee table, where he usually eats and studies, and two bookshelves, where he had placed a bedside lamp.

It's usually very poorly lit, but at the moment, everything looks cosy, bathed in the warm light of the lamp. And OK, maybe there’s also a candle or too. But that’s for the smell. Besides, he really likes candles – he usually lights one or two when he’s studying or reading here. So it’s not like it’s special or anything.

It’s 9 already. Dean still isn’t here, so Castiel just paces for like 10 minutes. Which, he gets tired of doing eventually, so he just grabs a book, and sits on the couch reading. _Paradise Lost_. He loves this edition, because it has the original illustrations by Gustave Doré, and they are mesmerising.

He’s so caught in his reading that he almost doesn’t hear the knocking on his door.

“Hello Dean” he says, as he opens the door.

“Hey Cas, how ‘ya doin’? I took some rum, and a couple beers, I hope it’s fine with you.”

“It’s fine. I’m sorry the place is quite small.”

“Nah, it looks uh… very cosy” Dean says, looking around.

“Ah yes, that… I love reading with this kind of lighting, it’s very soothing.”

“It is though.” Dean says.

He smiles.

“You’re such a laid-back guy. I really like that, like, there’s something about you that calms me somehow.”

Castiel doesn’t know what to answer. So he just smiles in return. Their eyes meet for an instant, and they both blush. Cas proceeds to take out a couple of glasses, a bottle opener and a bag of chips.

“So, we start with beer?” Dean says. “Hey, by the way, do you have orange juice or coke for the rum?”

“Hum, I think I have one brick of orange juice, but that’s it” Castiel laughs.

“Haha, well, I always liked pirates anyway, it’s a good day to start to act like one” Dean laughs.

Dean opens their beers.

“Hey, what kind of music do you like?” he asks.

“I’m good with pretty much anything.”

So Dean takes his phone out of his pocket and fiddles with it for a moment. Then, he puts it on the coffee table, and Metallica’s “The Unforgiven” starts.

“So it _was_ Metallica!” Cas says.

Dean looks up, shocked. OH NO!!!

“What?” he asks, a crooked smile on his face.

“Hum… I was saying… It’s just… I know you probably don’t remember, why would you, but I am pretty good with faces, and uh… I saw you once or twice and the Geology Library, and uh, once, you were listening your music very loud, and it annoyed me, but I also thought I had recognised Metallica.”

“Haha, yeah, I do that…” Dean says. He looks embarrassed, but Castiel doesn’t understand why.

“So you like Metallica too, uh?” Dean asks, to regain composure.

“Well, it’s not my go-to music, but I like it from time to time.”

“What are you listening to these days, for example?”

“I like Supertramp. I think my favourite is ‘Hide in Your Shell’. I like everything about this song, the music, the vocals, the lyrics…”

“Ah, I don’t think I know it…”

And so they just start to show each other songs they think they’ll like, and talk about their lives, and it is easy. Before they notice, they’re drunk and out of booze.

“Ha, Cas, I’m so glad we did this. I really like spending time with you.”

“Me too, Dean… I’m very glad.” Castiel responds.

“Well, it’s getting late.” Dean says, avoiding his eyes. “I uh, gotta get home, make sure Jody and Sammy are OK and everything.”

Castiel straightens up.

“Right, of course. But, uh, I’m going to come with you, ok? I don’t like thinking you walk home alone in your state.” Castiel answers.

“Well, that’s very nice, but it doesn’t change anything, since if we do this, _you_ will have to come back here alone.”

“You could stay here… I mean, I have an inflatable bed I could put right next to the couch if we push the coffee table. You could call your brother…” Castiel says, blushing.

 

*** Dean’s POV***

This. Fucking. Guy. He’s got this dorky shy look, and sure he is dorky and shy, but he’s also very bold sometimes. Dean can’t believe he’s always caught off guard. And when he’s caught off guard, he can’t really think straight. The booze doesn’t help either.

“Yeah, I could check in with Jody, see if it’s ok with her.”

He gets up and goes to the bathroom. His hands are shaky from apprehension when he dials the number.

“Hello?” Dean hears from the other side of the line.

“Hey Sammy? It’s Dean. Uh, can you put Jody on the phone please?”

“What’s going on?"

"Just put Jody on the phone."

"Is it that you want to stay with your boyfriend?”

“What the f… Sam! First, he’s not my boyfriend, second, is that all you have to say on the topic?”

“Dude, I’ve seen you make out with Benny Laffite, in 10th grade. You are a Swayze fan. You used to have your male Sims make out! I’ve always known you’re not 100% straight.”

“And you don’t mind?”

“Why would I? It’s your life. Now go, Jody is ok to stay for the night.”

“Yeah, right, when did you ask her?”

“Like an hour after you left. You clearly have a thing for the boy. See you tomorrow!”

And just like that, he hangs up. Dean comes out of the bathroom.

“So, do you have Netflix?”

They settle on a show called Unnatural, about two brothers killing monsters. Cas is scared out of his mind, but they both enjoy it.

*

*

*

Dean wakes up with his neck sore… His head has been hanging from the armrest all night, and it’s not confortable. Except, he doesn’t feel uncomfortable. He feels pretty warm.

He looks down – Castiel is sleeping on his legs.

“Hey, morning sunshine.” Dean says playfully.

“Hm, Dean… It’s still early, let me sleep.”

Dean blushes. He’s so cute.

He shifts his position so that his neck doesn’t hurt. But because he’s moving, Cas wakes up a bit more, and pushes on his feet to rest his own head on Dean’s stomach.

“Hmm” Cas moans.

“Cas?” Dean says.

“Yes, Dean?” Castiel says, opening his eyes to look at him.

Their eyes meet once again, and this time, they just can’t look away. They are caught in each other’s eyes for good. And they can’t blame it on the alcohol because they've had time to sober up.

So Dean knows what he's doing when he takes Castiel’s face between his hands. And Castiel knows what he's doing when he pushes on his feet to close the distance between them. When, in a movement, his lips strokes Dean’s. And all they can hear is the sound of their hearts resonating in Castiel’s small and mostly empty apartment.

A ray of sunshine warms their noses, and when Dean opens his eyes, he can see every detail of Castiel’s face, and he looks like an angel. And everything is perfect.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This Chapter's title is a reference to the song More Than Words by Extreme, which is a very beautiful song, and a perfect song for a destiel fic too! I just love the perfect harmony between the voices of the two singers, it gives me goosebumps.
> 
>  
> 
> EDIT: alright, I realise I didn't update this as I was planning to. I'm so sorry for that. I didn't plan for finals to hit me so soon. I'm gonna try and update tomorrow, but no promises. You'll get something this week. That's for sure, but I just can't seem to have enough time to just spend an entire afternoon writing as I usually do. I'm so sorry.


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